(RxWiki News) A combination drug already prescribed to adults who suffer from migraines also appears to benefit teens afflicted by devastating headaches.
There is still a significant unmet need for medications that are effective for treating migraines in adolescents.
Researchers have found that three varying doses of combo drug Treximet (sumatriptan and naproxen sodium) appear to aid teens suffering from migraines.
"Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about relieving migraines."
Frederick J. Derosier, DO, a lead researcher from pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, determined that the drug effectively treats moderate to severe migraines in teens.
During the study investigators enrolled participants between the ages of 12 and 17 who typically experienced two to eight migraines lasting less than three hours each month. During the first 12 weeks participants were given an inactive medication to treat the first moderate to severe migraine.
Of the initial group, 490 participants that still reported migraine pain two hours later were then randomly assigned to another inactive drug, or one of three doses of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium. Researchers then examined the number of participants who were without pain after two hours.
After adjusting for age and pain severity, they found that pain-free rates were highest with the lowest dose of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium, or 10/60 milligrams. Of the participants that received that dosage 29 percent reported no pain after two hours compared to 27 percent who took the 30/180 milligram dose and 24 percent receiving the 85/500 milligram dose.
An additional analysis after the conclusion of the study revealed no statistical differences among the three doses. As compared to an inactive drug, the highest dose of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium kept 23 percent of patients pain-free for two to 24 hours versus 9 percent. In addition, 59 percent who took the high drug dose reported relief from light sensitivity and 60 percent were free of sound sensitivity compared to 41 percent and 42 percent receiving the inactive drug, respectively.
GlaxoSmithKline developed and markets Treximet. The study was recently published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
